Flash-light for cameras



E. 0. SWAFFORD. FLASH LIGHT FOR CAMERAS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11,1919.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

EOSu a/ford EDMOND o. swarrorm, or OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

FLASH-LIGHT Fort CAMERAS.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDMOND O. SWArFoRn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash- Lights forCameras, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to. an improved flashlight device, which may beused by' amateurs and professional photographers, and adaptedparticularly for use in cooperation with cameras, and the invention aimsto provide a device of this kind, which can be used at night or in darkrooms, or equally as well in daylight, that is when it is desired totake a picture in a room in the daytime on a cloudy day; 7

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthis deemed preferable, it is obvious that a reduction of the invention toa more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention may besusceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed,provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed Theinvention comprises further features and combination of parts, as willbe hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

'In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a'view in side elevation of an adjustable telescopicalsectional standard including a tripod support therefor, for the purposeof supporting a pan (which is often used: as a reflector), and showingthe flashlight mechanism or device applied under the an. p Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail vertical sectional view through the flashlight mechanismor device, showing the hammer plunger bar under tension of a spring andheld against the tension of such spring by a trigger. Fig. 3 is a detailview of a plate for holding the head end of a match.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the slide and match igniter ortrigger.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a" conventionalform of tripod, and Q-denotes a standard supported r lay-pttele oop nainhaler sec ggs 35.24:,

thereon. This standard comprises a plu- Specification of Letters Patent.I

as a result of Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

Application filed. June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,294.

,5 and 6, and the upper section of the standard supports a pan 7,provided with arearwardly positioned upturned portion 8,

which acts as a reflector, as well as a deflector, so that, when theflashlight powder is ignited, the majority of the rays of the light willbe reflected forwardly of the upturnedportion, thereby providing anexceedingly bright light in order to facilitate the taking of a goodpicture. A match 9 is supported in a lateral projection 10 of theupturned portion or flange 8, and secured at .11 to the bottom of thepan is a plate or holder 12. This plate or holder 12 comprises theinclined part 13 and the extended 1 part 1 1, which is parallel with thebottom of the pan. This part 1 1 has an opening 15 for the reception ofthe stem of the match, particularly immediately above the head 16 of thematch, that is, when the match is inverted and disposed as shown inFigs. 1 and 2. The part 14 is arranged immediately above the head 16 ofthe match, in order to prevent the head of the match from too readilysnapping ofi when the sliding member 17 is actuated.

The bottom. of the pan is provided with an elongated slot 18, throughwhich the sliding member 17 is operated. The sliding member 17 has adownwardly projecting arm 19, which is pivoted at 20 between the ears 21of the section 6 of the standard. Mounted in the section-6 of thestandard-is a leaf spring 22, the loop end 23 of which bears against thearm 19 and holds the sliding member 17 normally in the position shown inFig. 2, ward beveled knurled edge 24 immediately adjacent the lowerextremity of the match head, so that when the sliding member isactuated. it will and the bottom of the pan, instantly igniting theinflammable head of the match. and igniting the powder carried on thesliding member. The plate .12 is constructed of some suitable yieldablemetal, so that when the sliding member operates between the head of thematch and the bottom of the pan, the part .14 of the plate will tend toyield upwardly, so as to permitthe sliding member to move betweenthe-head of the match and the bottom of the pan. Since the part 14 ofthe plate yieldsupwardly, it will be seen that there is a certain amountof pressure applied upon the' head of the for instance, with theforslide between the match na so as m. were bananas:

lower extremity of the head of the match and the roughened beveled edgeof the sliding member or igniter. 1

Secured to the bottom ofthe pan is a cylindrical tubular memberorb'arrel 25, one

end of .which is provided with a reduced opening 26, the other end ofwhich is closed by meansof a threaded cap 27. Connected in any suitablemanner to the barrel or cylindrical tubular member is a tubular elbow28, and slidably mounted in the arm 29 of the elbow is a pneumaticallyactuated sliding valve or element 30. The lower end of the arm 29 of theelbow is provided with an extension 31 having an enlargement, to whichone end of a rubber tube 32 is connected. The other end of the tube 32.terminates in the usual bulb 33. A rubber tube 36 is con- 7 nected tothe bulb 33 and isin turn con- 34 of the elbow, and the end 40 of thetrigger extends through the openings 37 and in the path of the plungeror disk 41. This plunger or disk is fixedly carried by the plunger orhammer rod 42, and in surroundng relation to the rod and interposedbetween the cap 27 and-the plunger or disk- 41 is a coil tension spring43. The'end portion 44 of the rod is adapted to pass through the opening26 of oneend of the barrel or tubular member 25. The other endof the rod42 has a head 45. The trigger is positioned in the arm 34 of the elbowin such wise that its end 46 at all times engages of the'valve 30. Whenit is desired to provide a flashlight for the purpose of taking powderis disposed upon the sliding igniter or member 17, and then the hammerrod 42 is set, as shown clearly in the drawings, particularly Fig.2. Itis obvious that by pressing the bulb 33. the shutter of the camera (notshown) will be,actuated,-and at the same-time the flashlight is made.For instance. the air in pass- ,ing through the tube 32 actuates thevalve 30 upwardly, tilting, the trigger, and withdrawing the end 40 fromthe path of the plunger or disk 41 against the action of the 47. Whenthe bulb 33 is depressed air is forced in opposite directions The airpassing through the tube 32 actsupon the'valve'30, raising the same,thereby actuating the trigbger 38 against the action of the spring 47 soas to draw the end 40 in the trigger from the path of the plunger ordisk 41, allowing the spring 43- to actuate the hammer rod.

the upper end The tension of the spring imparts longitudinalmovement tothe hammer rod, which will contact with the arm 19, and since the,

sliding igniter is carried by the arm 19, its beveled knurled ignitingedge 24 will pass between the head inflammable member and the base ofthe pan 7, thereby igniting the inflammable member. The flashlightpowder is carried upon the sliding igniter, and as soon as the.inflammable member is ignited, the powder passing through the be resetin engagement with the spring tensioned trigger, and when reset, thespring 22 16 of the match or other substantially. at the same timewillreturn the sliding igniter to its normal position. "Another inflammablemember or match 9 may be inserted, for igniting another deposit offlashlight powder. At the sametime the shutter of the camera isoperated, the plunger or hammer rod moves under the action of thetension coil spring 43, striking the arm 19 of the slidable igniter,thereby tilting the arm 19 and moving the igniter toward. and betweenthe head of the match and the bottom of the pan. The roughened bevelededge of the igniter will frictionally contact wlth the headiof thematch, therebyligniting the same and atthe same time. igniting thepowderon the v igniter, thereby creating a flashlight at the same time withthe opening of the shutter of the camera.

The invention having been set forth, what.

is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a flashlight device forcameras, the combination with a tubularsupport having a pair of spaced ears and provided with a reflecting panon its upper secured on the reflector pan and having a horizontal partparallel with the bottom of the pan for the reception of'a stem of amatch for holding the inflammable head thereof in contact with thebottom of the pan, the bottom of the pan having a slot, a slidingigniter mounted bottom of the pan and provided with a knurled beveledigniting edge to slide between the inflammable head and the bottom end,of a holder slidably upon the r of the pan adapted to ignite a depositof flashlight powder carried on the igniter, an

arm projecting downwardly from the botsupport and having a portionprotruding through-the all;otthe ubele suppe ft engage saidpivotally'mounted arm, to hold the igniter set from between theinflammable head and the bottom of the pan, and means ror actuating thepivotally mounted arm against the action of its tensioning means,whereby the. igniter may ignite the inflammable head.

2. In a flashlightdevice for cameras, the combination with asupportcarrying on its upper end a reflector pan, said pan having meansfor supporting an inflammable member, of an igniter slidable on thebottom of the pan and being pivotally carried on the support forigniting the inflammable memher, a tubular chamber secured to the underface of the pan provided with an opening at one end and a guide at theother end, a spring tensioned hammer rod prox 'ided with a plungermounted in said chamber, whereby the hammer end of the plunger isadapted to pass through the open end of the chamber, to actuate saidigniter, said plunger rod being mounted in the guide of said chamber, atubular elbow carried by the tubular chamber, a spring tensioned triggermounted in the horizontal arm of the tubular elbow and normallyprojecting through the wall of the tubular chamber in the path of andholding the plunger of the hammer rod set, and a pneumatically actuatedvalve mounted in the vertical arm of the tubular elbow in contact withand adapted to actuate said trigger to release the plunger, whereby itstensioning means may actuate it, to operate the igniter.

3. In a flashlight device for cameras, the

combination with a vertical support having a flashlight reflector on itsupper end and provided with a pivotally mounted arm, of a combinedflashlight powder container and igniter carried by the upper end of thearm and being slidably mounted upon the bottom of the pan, the bottom ofthe pan having an elongated slot in which the upper end of the arm ismovable, means for holding the stem of an inflammable member with theinflammable member in the path of the combined powder container andigniter, tensioning means for the arm, the opposite ends of the slotadapted to limit the arm in its movement, a tubular chamber carried bythe bottom of the pan, a spring tensioned hammer mounted in said chamberadapted to con- .tact with the arm when released to actuate the igniter,said hammer having a plunger, one end of the tubular chamber having anopening adjacent which the arm is normally positioned, so that thehammer may project through the opening to engage thearm, a housingcarried by the tubular chamber, a spring tensioned trigger mounted inthe housing and in hold the hammer set, and a pneumatically actuatedvalvemounted in the housing to operate the trigger to release theplunger and allow the hammer to actuate the arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

EDMOND O. SWAFFORD.

' WVitnesses:

GORDON W. TALLEY,

F. G. MARTIN.

the path of the plunger to

